Page 6 of Storm of Desire
Or a streak oflightning.
Her breath caught. She had to have it. It had beenmadefor her. "Howmuch?"
A king's ransom to be expected, but if there was one thingdrekicollected apart from fine gems, it wasgold.
"I-It's a gift," Hjálmarsson stammered. "I was told it was to be a gift. I've already beenpaid."
Finally, his words caught her attention. "Agift?"
"Foryou."
Nobody knew her in this town, and humans would not recognize what walked among them. Which meant something of a supernatural nature had noticed herpresence.
A fellowdrekiperhaps.
And all those within the court knew she was betrothed to SiriusBlackfrost.
A flare of warning skittered down her spine, but she wasn't afraid. She was adrekiprincess of theZiniclan, and both immortal and mortal crossed her at theirperil.
"A gift." Hjálmarsson swallowed. "For a beautiful lady. He told me to saythat."
"And does this mysterious man have aname?"
"He said if you want his name, then you'll have to meet him. He's residing at theViking."
Curious. Árdís ran a fingernail along the gems,reachingfor the light within. There was a strange echo upon the stones, a lingering presence, as if anotherdrekihad touched them upon atime.
She wanted the necklace, and was almost curious enough to accept the invitation just to discover who thought to challenge her, but something stalled withinher.
What was thepoint?
She'd given her heart once, and left it bleeding in Norway. And her mother, the queen, had recently decreed that her cousin, Sirius, would have her as a mate. No man had touched her since her husband, and she found she couldn't rouse the least bit of interest in the idea. It might be a way to insult Sirius, a challenge to his alleged authority over her, but something recoiled within her at the thought of alover.
No.
Still... who was it? She ought to warn him that the Blackfrost was a dangerous enemy to have, and not likely to be impressed with another male seeking to steal his intendedmate.
A male psychic scent infused the stones, one she almost thought she recognized. Pushing forward with her mind, she chased that presence and suddenly it fell into her mind. Hundreds of miles east of here a maledrekiturned to look at her, catching the link on his end. Golden hair curled around his ears, and his eyes were the color of warmamber.
The same color ashers.
"Rurik?" she breathed, her heart expanding in her chest as the image of her brother's face obliterated the reality of the world around her. It was truly him. Her brother had been in exile for almost half a cycle, or thirty years as these humans translated time. She'd been but a kit when hevanished.
"Don't be too angry with me. It's time to pay your debt,Árdís."
She jerked her finger back, and the link was lost, leaving her heartpounding.
Debt.
What by all the gods did Rurikmean?
It wasn't the first time he'd contacted her of late. There'd been that brief whisper she'd woken to several months ago, almost a fragment of a dream."Árdís, what were youthinking?"
She'd lain awake for long moments after that, uncertain whether to reach back. Thedrekicourt beneath Hekla was watched by too manydrekiminds, and she didn't dare contact the brother the court called the TraitorPrince.
Butnow?
She had this horrible feeling inside, as if the walls were closing in upon her.Fate, somethingwhispered.
